Base-ball-game apparatus.



UNITED STATES PATENT onmoE ,p

v WILLIAM H. 'ALLACE,` PITTSBURG, KANSAS.

BASEBALL-GAME APPARATUS.

specification of Letters Patent.

*Patented June 6, 1916.

Appiiation filed June 11,1915. 'serial No. 33,425.

To all 'whom t may concern.' i Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. WAL- LACE, citizen of the United States, residing I at Pittsburg, in the county of Crawford and State of Kansas,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball- Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My'- invention relates to game apparatus andparticularly means ywhereby a parlor l' or miniature game of baseball may be played. 1

'The invention aims-to provide an effec-V i tive form of means for discharging the ball over the field or diamond at di erent angles,

' consisting in the novel construction, combination 'and larrangement of the parts as f hereinafter described and claimed as well as illustrated in accompanying drawings;- 2o

In saidy drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment, Figure 1 is a top or plan view ofthe entire apparatus; Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig'. 1; 'Fig'.` 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3 3 ,of Fig.` 2; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view von the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. A5 is a fragmentary plan view of the y i, ,-turna'ble discharge head.

Referring specifically `to the 'drawingsal I represent a Asuitable'-.aseball diamond as on a' board l which Imay have a marginal wall 2 projecting above the top surface thereof. Since anysuitable form of board or field may be), used, detailedidescription of this element will be omitted. At the home plate, suitable discharge means gen-v erally designated A is arranged in order to f proJect the ball or projectile 3,' (see Fig., l4) over the diamond.

lMeans A. comprises a head 4 which vis pivotally mounted for horizontal movement by 4means of a bolt 5 passing through an aperture in board 1 and an aperture 6 inthe bottom or base `wall 7 4of the head. Also mounted from the board `1 is an eccentric` 8 adapted to be turned in any suitablemanner, for instance, by means of a spring mof `tor 9 with the shaft 10 of whichthe eccentric 8 is connected.

A pitman .11 is pivotally connected at 12 xtoeccentric 8 andat -13 to the head 4.J 'Spring motor-9 during operation, rotates eccentric 8 in'order tol reciprocate pitman 11 andoscillate the head 4 so that in conjunction with the remalnder of mechanism vother sound-reducing material. normally maintained with element 19 in its -foremost position by means of a coil spring portion of bat 18 a contact element 19 is provided to directly engage the ball 3 and which is preferably made ofv rubber, felt or Bat 18 is 20 having van arm21 connected to the bat and an arm 22 connected to one wall 14 by means of/a staple 23.l At the rear face,`bat 18 has an eyelet or staple 24. Bridging the walls 14 and substantially centrally spaced thereon by means of disks 25, is a rod 26 on which is pivotally mounted a detent lever 26 having an arm 27 provided with a hook 28to engage the staple 24. Inclified face 28 of hook -28 moves intoA automatic lengagement with 4staple 24 during movement in one direction. From arm,v27, the lever extends rearwardly,y upwardlyv and forwardly, and then terminates in an upstanding lug orffinger piece 29. This detent lever is normally in its lowermost po- 65. ally mounted on rod 16. V:At the ydischarge,

sition, with hook 28 and staple 24 disen- '90 gaged, .and resting on a rod v30, urged by a spring 'having a coil 31, an armv 32 fastened to base 7 and an arm 33 exerting upward pressure on the lever at the rear. l

Means common to both the` bat and detent lever is employedy to operate them and is preferably formedybfrod material "so as to have Aan arcuate operating portion 34 during its movement, with lug 29 and the upperportion of bat 18. The operating ldisposed intermediate and so as to contact member' has vertical arms -35 depending from portion 34 and from which outwardly nd 37 'which are pivotally ""gs 38 fastened to board 1.

sin anrpoperating handle or cranlgfl3 In orde from/the head 4 accidentally, a guard 40 in the nature of a spring having several coils at its lower end, is fastened to the chute 15.

0l Illvent thelball 3 rollingf,

lThis spring at its coils is adapted to normally extend below the uppermost point of the ball so that the ball cannot accidentally roll oli the head past the spring 40. HOW-- everwhen the bat drives the ball from the head, this spring readily yieldsoutwardly so that the ball may pass the same.`

Preferably a means is provided so that the players cannot see the different positions of-the head 4 during itsy oscillation and therefore cannot discharge-the ball intentionally to desired points on the diamond.

' This means, preferably, consists in a housf ing having a top @Vall 41 provided with an opening 42 through which chute 15 projects and turns, and Withside Walls 43 and a rear .Wall 44. An abutment 45 is secured to thel board l to be engaged by Wall 44 to enable ready positioning of the housing, since it is detachable from the board. Also, suitable hooks 46 may be pivoted as at 47 to the Walls 43 and be engageable with eyelets 48 secured to board l.

lith the spring motor 9 in operation,:

eccentric 8 and pitman l1 cause continuous horizontal oscillation of the head 4. Prior to this movement or during its continuance, one or more balls 3 are deposited in the chute l5, and prevented from accidental shown in 4 where it detains the bat'- in rearmost position since it overlaps the staple. Even with the parts in this position,

the head 4 can turn since arcuate portionV 84 has been provided. In order to discharge the'ball, crank 39 is again operated, but in a direction away from the chute 15 and during this movement, contacts With lug 29, causing the detent lever to elevate at its `forward end andthe hook 28 to disengagel the staple l,24, ywhereupon spring 22 spends its energy, causing the 'bat to forcibly strike the ball 3, rolling it past the yieldable guard 40 and on to the diamond. The usual rules for playing baseball, may be substantially observed in scoring runs, in connection with suitable designations on the diamond. After the ball has been discharged, hat 18 may be brought into position for a succeeding discharge, by moving crank ,39 forwardly so that portion 34 engages the bat, tilting it, and causing automatic engaging of the hook Ihas been illustrated and described', it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction may beresorted to Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

` l. In game apparatus, a turnable head, a

receiving chute carried thereby, projectileimpellingmeans carried by the head and operating means for said projectile-impelling means having a portion to engage the projectile-impelling means, and said portion being deflected to accommodate its mounting near the saidv receiving chute.

2. In game apparatus, a head, a projectilereceiving chute thereon, means to turn said head, bata spring associated With said bat, a detent for said bat, a spring associated With said detent, and an operating member having a portion ,intermediate the bat and detent to engage the bat and detent, said portion being deiected to accommodate its mounting near the chute.' y

3. In game apparatus, a head, means to turn said head, said head having upstanding :spaced Walls,l a projectilefsupply chute mountedl intermediate said ;Wal1s, a bat, means to pivotally mount said bat upon said Walls, a spring connected to the bat and te one of said Walls, a detent, means to piv otally mount said detent upon said Walls, said detent having'a lug thereon, said detent having a hook thereon, meanson the bat engageable by said hook, a spring mounted on the head associated with said detent, a rest member for said detent, and operating means having a portion disposed intermediate the bat and the lug of the detent.

4. In game apparatus, a head, means to swingingly move said head, said head having upstanding spaced Walls, a projectile supply chute mounted by said Walls, a bat,

means to mount said bat upon said walls,

means to prevent accidental disengagement of a projectile from the head', means to urge the hat into engagement With the projectile, means mounted upon said Walls to maintain the hat in projected position, and means to shift the last mentioned means.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signatun` in presenceA of two lWitnesses. A

- WILLIAM H. /VALLACE.

itnesses: i l R. O. PETERSON, DE LrssA; f 

